MakerSpace Success

CEPS Makerspace booming after donor funding helps open doors

Audrey Wagner ’25 (top photo) and Nick Snyder ’24 (below) are making good use of the CEPS Makerspace.

The idea for a makerspace in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences — a physical space where students use tools, technology and their own creativity to design, experiment and invent — has been around for several years.

These days, thanks to donors, it’s a busy, bustling reality.

In its first year of operation, the CEPS Makerspace was used for the creation of close to 840 projects by visitors from all five UNH colleges and 24 degree programs. At its busiest, the space welcomes as many as 120 visitors per day, and since it opened, the total number of projects completed has climbed to more than 1,200.

The space required the purchase of a significant amount of equipment — those using the space have access to things like 3D printers, laser cutters and scanners, a band saw, a drill press, a sewing machine and much more — and must be staffed throughout the day.

The equipment cost about $100,000, according to CEPS Technical Services Center Director Kevan Carpenter, and given the budget challenges that UNH has faced in recent years, the project would almost certainly not have gotten off the ground without the generosity of UNH donors, whose support funded the space’s first year of operating costs.

Carpenter’s vision was a space where visitors could work on any creative project, whether it be for school or for personal reasons. Carpenter has seen students make cutting boards for family members at Christmas, but has also witnessed the UNH sailing team use the sewing machine to repair sails and students from the Formula SAE precision racing team build parts for a racecar, 3D scanning a model of an engine to see how it would fit into the frame they were building.

“I believe strongly in interdisciplinary and collaborative work — that’s where we see the intersection of our engineers and our science minds with business minds and others. It’s where we see the greatest gifts back to society through creative ideas,” he says.

Cassie Lafleur ’26 became a frequent visitor to the Makerspace while working on projects for class and has since become a student employee.

“My favorite part about the Makerspace is the welcoming community that it has built,” Lafleur says. “It creates the perfect atmosphere for collaborative learning, which has enhanced my understanding of the material in several of my courses. … I don’t think I can thank our donors enough for their financial support. I’m glad that members of the UNH community recognize the importance of the Makerspace on our campus and choose to support resources like this.”